2024
Peter Struck Named Stephen A. Levin Family Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences
Struck, a distinguished classicist, award-winning teacher, and innovative program leader, starts the new appointment on Aug. 1, 2024.
Ala Stanford, National Leader in Health Equity, Joins Penn
Stanford is now a Professor of Practice in the School of Arts & Sciences Department of Biology, with additional appointments in the Penn Institute for RNA Innovation and Annenberg School for Communication.
William Niu Receives 2024 Hertz Fellowship
He will receive five years of funding for graduate study, as well as access to lifelong programming such as mentoring, events, and networking.
Ellen Furxhi Appointed Vice Dean and Chief of Staff
Furxhi succeeds Allison Rose, who is retiring after a 34-year Penn career that has included 27 years in the School of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office.
Arts & Sciences Students and Faculty Receive Projects for Progress Grants
The initiative provides University funding up to $100,000 each to Penn teams taking on big social justice issues in the city.
Julie Breier Seaman Named Chair of SAS Board of Advisors
She succeeds Ramanan Raghavendran in this role, following his appointment in January to chair the University’s Board of Trustees.
Thirteen from Penn Receive 2024 Fulbright Awards
This group, which includes at least 10 from the College of Arts & Sciences, will conduct research, pursue graduate degrees, or teach English.
Michael Mann Elected Fellow of the Royal Society
The climate scientist joins more than 90 researchers worldwide, recognized for their invaluable contributions to science.
2024 Graduation Ceremonies Schedule for Penn Arts & Sciences
Information for the College, the Graduate Division, the College of Liberal & Professional Studies, and Fels Institute of Government.
Arts & Sciences Students, Faculty, and Staff Receive Sachs Grants for Arts Innovation
The grants support innovative arts activities by providing funding for projects focused on artist residencies, community partnerships, project and curricular support, and creative production.
Tyshawn Sorey Wins 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Music
He earned the acclaim for “Adagio (For Wadada Leo Smith),” a saxophone concerto that premiered on March 16, 2023, at Atlanta Symphony Hall.
Penn Arts & Sciences Students Receive 2024 Penn Prize for Excellence in Graduate Teaching
Nominations for the honor come from undergraduates and recognize master’s students and Ph.D. candidates.
Four Undergrads Receive Soros, Udall, and Truman Recognition
The honorees include Zijian (William) Niu, C’24, Joey Wu, C’25, ENG’25, Aravind Krishnan, C’25, W’25, and Tej Patel, C’25, W’25.
Penn Arts & Sciences Faculty Honored by University for Distinguished Teaching
The faculty represent the Departments of Physics and Astronomy, English, History of Art, and Chemistry.
Robin Pemantle Elected to the National Academy of Sciences
Considered one of the highest honors a scientist can receive, NAS membership recognizes distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.
Greg Ridgeway Named Rebecca W. Bushnell Professor of Criminology
He is also the Department Chair of Criminology and Professor of Statistics and Data Science.
Junhyong Kim Named Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Biology
Kim is an expert in genomics, single cell biology, mathematical and computational biology, and evolutionary genetics.
Four Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2024
They include Charles L. Kane, Edward D. Mansfield, Virgil Percec, and Deborah A. Thomas, recognized for their contributions to physics, political science, chemistry, and anthropology.
Biology Professor Michael Lampson Elected 2024 AAAS Fellow
He is among six from Penn given the honor, part of a group of more than 500 researchers honored for their “scientifically and socially distinguished achievements.”
Penn Arts & Sciences Students Win 2024 President’s Engagement Prize
They will design and undertake post-graduation projects that make a positive, lasting difference in the world.
2024 School of Arts & Sciences Teaching Awards
Penn Arts & Sciences recognizes nine faculty and seven graduate students for their distinguished teaching.
Four from the College Receive Projects for Peace Grant
Annabelle Jin, C’25, Claire Jun, C’25, Johana Munoz, C’26, and Destiny Uwawuike, C’25, were selected for their initiative Students Organizing for Access to Reproductive Health.
Wale Adebanwi and Deborah A. Thomas Named 2024 Guggenheim Fellows
The award is designed to allow independent work at the highest level under “the freest possible conditions.”
Paul Sniegowski Named President of Earlham College
Sniegowski, the Stephen A. Levin Family Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, has been at Penn for 27 years. He will leave at the end of July.
2024 College of Arts & Sciences Graduation Speakers
James “Jim” Johnson, C’74, L’77, a School of Arts and Sciences Board of Advisors member, and student speaker Katie Volpert, C’24, will address the Class of 2024 Sunday May 19 on Franklin Field.
Undergraduate and Graduate Students Honored as 2024 Dean’s Scholars
This honor is presented annually to students who exhibit exceptional academic performance and intellectual promise.
Three College Undergrads Named 2024 Goldwater Scholars
These scholarships are awarded to students planning research careers in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering.
Azuma and Hart Named Roy F. and Jeannette P. Nichols Professors of American History
Eiichiro Azuma specializes in Asian American and transpacific history, while Emma Hart teaches and researches the history of early North America, the Atlantic World, and early modern Britain between 1500 and 1800.
Arts & Sciences Students Honored during 37th Annual Women of Color Day
Sade Taiwo, C’25, and Kyndall Nicholas, a Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience, were honored for their work.
Postdoctoral Fellow Kunyu Wang Selected for CAS Future Leaders Program
He was one of just 35 people chosen for the honor.
Nine College Students and Alums Named Thouron Scholars; Will Pursue Graduate Studies in the U.K.
The Scholars are six seniors and three recent graduates whose majors range from neuroscience to communication.
Irma Elo Named Tamsen and Michael Brown Presidential Professor in Sociology
Elo’s main research interests center on inequalities in health and mortality across the life course and demographic estimation of mortality. In recent years, she has extended her research to include predictors of cognition in high-, middle-, and low-income countries.
Julia Hartmann Named Fay R. and Eugene L. Langberg Professor in Mathematics
She specializes in algebra and arithmetic geometry, a newer field that applies techniques from algebraic geometry to solve problems in number theory and co-developed the method of field patching.
McNeil Center Announces New Benjamin Franklin Distinguished Lectures
The endowed series, the first in the field of early American studies, will begin this fall with three talks about war and slavery from CUNY’s Professor David Waldstreicher.
Martin Claassen Named 2024 Sloan Research Fellow
Claassen, an assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, is among 126 early-career researchers who will receive a two-year, $75,000 fellowship from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Holger Sieg Named Baird Term Professor of Economics
Sieg focuses his research on public and urban economics, as well as the political economy of state and local governments.
Frank Schorfheide Named Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Economics
His research provides a set of tools that are useful for empirical work with modern macroeconomic models, including forecasting and policy analysis.
Book from Grace Sanders Johnson Finalist for 2024 Pauli Murray Book Prize
The recognition goes to the “best book concerning Black intellectual history” from the past year.
Corinn Harrell Named Vice Dean for Finance and Administration
The role oversees finance and budget, facilities, staff human resources, and computing. Harrell had held the interim position since September.
Jade Gonzalez, C’22, Wins Pickering Fellowship
The honor supports two years of graduate student in preparation for a career in the U.S. Foreign Service.
Barbara Savage of Africana Studies Wins 2024 ASALH Book Prize
The annual honor recognizes an outstanding book in the field of African American history and culture.
Taussia Boadi, C’24, and Cheryl Nnadi, C’24, Honored as Projects for Progress Winners
The pair, along with Ariane Thomas of Penn GSE, won for Positioned for Success, which provides academic support and enrichment to Philadelphia middle school students in the child welfare system affected by gun violence or parental incarceration.
Hear the Latest Research by Penn Arts & Sciences Graduate Students at Penn Grad Talks February 23
Twenty students will present their work in eight-minute TED-style talks. Cash prizes are on the line.
Daniel Wodak Receives Political Philosophy Prize
The Associate Professor of Philosophy earned the recognition from the Marc Sanders Foundation for his essay “One Person, One Vote.”
Decherney and Woubshet Named Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Endowed Term Professors
Peter Decherney is a professor of cinema studies and director of the Penn Global Documentary Institute. Dagmawi Woubshet is a scholar, writer, and translator in the English department.
Paul Hendrickson Receives Humanities Institute Outstanding Alumni Award
The honor goes to graduates who have made a significant impact in the humanities.
LilyLoop Wins 2024 Y-Prize Competition
Rima Chavali, C’27, W’27, Neha Chelamkuri, C’27, W’27, and Kylie Chang, ENG’27, W’27, created the line of “smart” period products.
Joseph Kable Named Jean-Marie Kneeley President's Distinguished Professor
Kable researches psychological and neural mechanisms of choice behavior. He is is the director of MindCORE, Penn’s hub for integrative study of the mind.
Masao Sako Named Arifa Hasan Ahmad and Nada Al Shoaibi Presidential Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Sako’s research focuses on observational cosmology with supernovae in order to study dark energy, and he is an innovator on many fronts.
Penn Arts & Sciences Receives Record $83.9 Million Gift
Alumnus Roy Vagelos and his wife, Diana, strengthen science research and education with their transformative gift to the University of Pennsylvania.